On April 16, 2007, the Nevada State Engineer issued a long-awaited decision on how much water Las Vegas will get from a rural eastern Nevada groundwater basin that is the lynchpin of its plans to tap the region’s groundwater and pipe it over 200 miles to Las Vegas, in order to slake the ever-growing demand of urban sprawl and golf course-and-water-fountain development there.

Las Vegas had sought over 90,000 acre-feet per year (afy) from Spring Valley, located between Ely and Baker in White Pine County Nevada, but based on the issues raised by WELC on behalf of a coalition of rural residents and conservation groups, the State Engineer approved only 40,000 afy, and even that amount can not be pumped for five years, until after a comprehensive mitigation and monitoring program has been accepted by the State.  Only if Las Vegas pumps that amount for 10 years and can forecast no adverse impacts would it be allowed to pump an additional 20,000 afy.

WELC is representing White Pine County, the Toiyabe Chapter of the Sierra Club, as well as local ranchers and residents in the protest.  WELC presented its evidence in a two-week hearing in September, showing that permitting the withdrawal of 90,000 afy would dry up Spring Valley in a manner similar to Los Angles’ destruction of the Owens Valley, causing untold damage to the native flora and fauna of the area, the local economy that relies on this intact valley for ranching, tourism and wildlife protection, and would cause local water rights to be usurped.

WELC will continue this fight as Las Vegas turns its attention to other valleys it deems important to its pipeline plan- stay tuned!

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